[Whole-body magnetic resonance angiography using a contrast medium. Technical optimization].
BACKGROUND
We tried to optimize the technique of contrast enhanced MR Angiography (MRA) in the study of the main body arteries.


METHODS
Fifty volunteers were examined with contrast enhanced MRA with a superconductive magnet at 1.5 T (Signa GE) and 3D SPGR sequences acquired with the following parameters: TR 8.2 +/- 1.3 ms, TE 1.8 +/- 7 ms, FA 60 degrees, MA 128 X 256; the images were acquired on the sagittal or coronal planes. The contrast agent (Gd-DTPA) was injected with MedRad Spectris system, with the bolus technique and the following standard parameters: velocity 1.5 mL/s and single dose; circulation time was optimized with 2D SPGR for each vessel (pretest). The carotid and pulmonary arteries, the thoracic-abdominal aorta and the iliac arteries were studied. The reader used a multiple choice card to evaluate image quality, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and circulation time.


RESULTS
Circulation time was 10.2 s in the carotid arteries, 8.1 s in the pulmonary arteries, 10.3 s in the thoracic aorta, 12.2 s in the abdominal aorta and 13.8 s in the iliac arteries. The signal was 181.8 vs the noise 3.1 in the carotid arteries, 256.8 vs 23.2 in the thoracic aorta, 518.4 vs 23.5 in the pulmonary arteries, 258.8 vs 24.5 in the abdominal aorta and finally 262.7 vs 25.4 in the iliac arteries.


CONCLUSIONS
Our experience suggests that contrast enhanced MRA is a good technique to study body arteries.
Carriero
A
A
Istituto di Scienze Radiologiche e Formazione dell'Immagine, Università G. D'Annunzio, Chieti.
Scarabino
T
T
Magarelli
N
N
Giannatempo
G
G
Vizzani
F
F
Cammisa
M
M
Salvolini
U
U
Bonomo
L
L
D000328:Adult; D001012:Aorta, Abdominal / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D003287:Contrast Media; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA; D006801:Humans; D007083:Iliac Artery / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D012016:Reference Values
D003287:Contrast Media; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA
Angiografia con risonanza magnetica del corpo con impiego del mezzo di contrasto. Ottimizzazione tecnica.